Toledo

I have not done a great job of posting pictures of my adventures and travels here in Spain.  I take all of these pictures of the things I see but then there is too much pressure to cull the crop down to a manageable number for posting.  Here is my first batch and there are bunch more to come soon.

Our first trip to some place other than Madrid or Buitrago, was the city of Toledo (Toe-led-o).  If you have visited Spain, there is a good chance that you stopped by Toledo.  It has a rich history, excellent food and a great night life.  The first time we went there we did not realize that there was a big escalator system that helps you get to the top of the hill where the heart of the city is, instead we hulled three kids and all of our bags up these steep old streets.

I used Google street maps to help us get to our hostel, I wouldn't say that we used typical rout to get there.  It was the first hostel we stayed in here in Spain and it was simple but really nice.  There was a great rooftop balcony that we could sit on and overlook the city.  Many of our night time pictures were taken from that vantage while my wife and I enjoyed a glass of lovely Spanish wine.

We liked Toledo enough that we returned there when we were lucky enough to have some friends visit us.  It was colder to be certain but if you come to Madrid for a only a short stay, I definitely suggest that you visit Toledo.  As in most Spanish tourist destinations there are always a lot of choices for quality places to eat but we found a place just outside of the main plaza called Cucharadepalo.  It had excellent food and drinks for reasonable prices.  Tour around during the day and see some amazing history and at night enjoy as many great tapas as you get your hands on.  I hope I can make it back there before we head back to the States.


Many of the important historical sites are so old and that visitors aren't allowed to touch them or even to take flash photos.  This isn't really surprising but for small children it can be a little... boring.  We were able to find a small community just south of Toledo called Almonacid de Toledo that had the ruins of an old castle and it was one of the girls favorite places.  Those are the pictures just below, the pictures of Toledo follow.

This is out hostel, four beds and a bathroom but at least we didn't have to share it with anyone else because we have enough bodies to fill the room!

Toledo is known, or has been known historically, for making blades... swords, knives etc.  You see a lot of these sorts of racks of swords etc in the shops here.

 This is inside the main plaza looking out toward the west side (?) of the city.  Through that gate is the statue below and the restaurant that I mentioned earlier.

 American nights versus Spanish nights.  The street life came alive well after the time that the girls are used to settling in for bed, add into it that we've been walking the city all day and they were pretty tired little girls!

 Many of the important tourist destinations are well lit at night and create a striking visual against the night time sky.

This is the main cathedral in Toledo and it creeps out from behind the city landscape from time to time to make for an excellent photo op when walking down the congested city streets.

 Early on in our adventure here, we were entranced by these quaint little alleys that seem smaller and far more welcoming than any alley I've seen in the States.

 I'm a sucker for a quality street performer and the girls are always happy to drop a coin or two into their buckets.  There are lots of interesting and entertaining street performers here.

 This is the alley that leads to the cathedral, I like the archway crosses above our heads.

 We happened upon a street performance about the life of Cervantes... but don't quote me on that!  I can't actually be certain now what it was other than an amazing show.

 There were these huge barrels that contained explosive charges and a ton of feathers.  The crazy thing is that they were placed among the audience!  I fairly certain that this would not happen in the states but it made for interesting audience participation.  You would feel the crowed push away from certain areas and then about 10 seconds later you'd hear a huge explosion and see a bunch of feathers fly up into the air.  When the show was over the girls enjoyed the leftover feathers.

 Clara was a trooper but eventually the long day got the better of her.  I ended up strapping her into a backpack and carrying her around.

 This is the Toledo Alcazar but is now a military museum.  At night, you can't miss it!

 "Hey look! I'm up way past my bedtime!!!"  I think the hour was 12am by the time we got back to the hostel.

 The outdoor seating is one of our favorite parts of Spain and it must be enjoyed when ever there is an inviting looking place... no matter the hour!